Rony Lopes has impressed for Bernardo Silva's for former club Monaco but he is one of the names cut from Santos' preliminary squad of 35, along with unlikely Euro 2016 final hero Eder.

Portugal kick-off their Group B campaign in Russia with a mouth-watering clash against neighbours Spain before facing Morocco and Iran.

"It is not possible to say if the squad is stronger than the Euros," Santos told reporters. "I have absolute confidence in this squad, as I had in the other.

"Portugal, in a hundred years, had never won anything. With the quality of the players in the squad now, if you ask me, I say that I have the same confidence in both groups."

On the omission of Gomes, who has endured a torrid time at Barcelona since moving to Camp Nou after Euro 2016 from Valencia, Santos added: "I have great respect for Andre Gomes, the players are all like my children. But I cannot have children and stepchildren."